


Submerged Sentiment

by rogueofpandas



Series: All Rivers Return to the Sea [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Albino Dave Strider, Alternate Universe - High School, Aquaphobia, Awkwardness, First Kiss, M/M, Mexican Karkat Vantas, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Temporary Amnesia, Will update tags as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2019-09-13 07:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16888023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogueofpandas/pseuds/rogueofpandas
Summary: “Do... you really not know who I am?” The stranger asks.Karkat can only shake his head, which was a mistake making his eyes burn and head pound.“I’m- i’m Dave.” He supplies, looking sad.





	1. Headache

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to my friend dylan who titled this work

Karkat woke up groggy with a pounding headache. The lights were too bright and the sheets too scratchy, the beeping too loud.

He wanted to swing his arm to shut off his alarm, only he realized he couldn’t move it. He couldn’t move at all, couldn't even open his eyes. It panicked him for a moment, he tried to scream but nothing came out.

Then he heard voices, slowly filtering in and out as he relearned how to wiggle his toes and fingers.

“-doing a lot better they say, showing brain activity and everything!”

“Well, that’s usually preferred in alive people so-”

“Don’t be rude!”

“Yeah! We’re here to support Karkat!”

“-think he’s waking up!”

“Quick grab a doctor!”

Only he was pulled back under again.

The next time he awoke was to blackness. Pitch darkness that told him it was night time, and a weight at his side that was soothing, someone holding his hand. Maybe it was his brother, they held hands as kids when he got scared.

He coughed and tried to sit up, only for light to suddenly click on. Karkat squinted in the brightness for a moment, trying to take in what he was seeing.

There beside him was a boy with the blondest hair and bright red eyes. He was the most beautiful person Karkat thinks he’s ever seen.

“H-hi,” Karkat croaks out, voice cracking. He coughs and wheezes, wondering why his throat was so scratchy.

“Hey,” The stranger replies.

Karkat takes another moment to soak in the appearance of this magnificent person, how unique and bold he looked. But his curiosity got the best of him, and so did his loud mouth.

“Who are you?” Karkat asks, bewildered.

“What do you mean ‘who am I’?!?” the boy asks, seemingly just as confused.

“I mean why are you in my room... “ Karkat asks, trailing off as he realizes that this isn’t his room at all.

He’s not paying attention to the boy anymore, instead of thinking hard about where the fuck he was right now. He was hooked up to a collection of machines that all whirl and buzz, the chairs seemed ungodlily uncomfortable, and the air smelled stale and bleachy.

‘Hospital’ his helpful brain provided.

“Karkat?”

“How do you know my name?” He asks this pretty boy.

“Do... you really not know who I am?” The stranger asks.

Karkat can only shake his head, which was a mistake making his eyes burn and head pound. 

“I’m- I'm Dave.” He supplies, looking sad.

“Cool.” Karkat looks down at their conjoined hands and wrinkled his forehead, squeezing the pretty boy's hand and he squeezes back.

“Is this, I mean, are you okay with this?” He asks, nodding toward their hands.

Karkat’s heart skipped a beat and he could only nod at the pretty- Dave. Dave was his name.

He was getting butterflies in his stomach and a blush creeping across his face, something that felt childish but made him squirm.

“So, like, what do you remember?” Dave asks.

Karkat thinks for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“Like what's the last thing you remember?

“I think I went for a swim,” Karkat's head suddenly throbs again, “But it hurts.”

“It’s okay, I'm sorry.”

Karkat looks at the boy again and can’t help the grin that spreads across his face at his next thought.

“What?” Dave asks.

“Are you my boyfriend?” Karkat asks, glancing down to their hands interlocked back up to the most stunning boy he’d ever seen, like, wow mama.

Dave sputters at this, clearly embarrassed. “No! I mean, not really. It was never official. It didn’t work out.”

Karkat's head pounds again. “Then why...?” He asks, squeezing Dave’s hand again. 

“Because..” Dave looks down to their hands and untangles their fingers, leaving Karkat feeling cold. “I don't know. I’m sorry.”

Karkat was going to make a fool of himself he can already tell.

“Who are you to me?” He asks the most sensible question, the first one that comes to mind.

It takes Dave a while to answer, not looking at him at all. “We used to be best friends.”

Karkat blinks and smiles. Nice. But then he realized that was past-tense.

“What happened?” Karkat couldn’t help but ask, blurts it out.

It takes a good while for Dave to answer, and when he does his words are slow and meticulous, like he’s watching everything he says. “You avoided me for weeks and lied to my face. It hurt a lot, you told me you were moving when I said ‘I love you,’ you never even said it back.”

“Oh.” Karkat’s head hurt.

Did he really do that? He sounded like an awful person.

“If you never liked me like that… I couldn’t take to hear it. I blocked you on everything and never gave you the chance to turn me down.” Dave confesses and it sounds mature coming from his mouth- like it was something that took him a long time to realize.

“Well, I uh, would you want to maybe…” Karkat tries and fails.

“What?” Dave asks, completely justifiable.

“Try again?”

“What are you talking about?!” Dave asks starting to get worked up.

“I mean saying I love you again!” Karkat tries again to explain his thought.

Dave looks at him wide-eyed, “You mean, you don’t remember me, and you want to say ‘I love you’?”

Fuck, was that a mistake? Did he just fuck up?

“I just mean you’re- uh so- uh” Oh no Karkat can’t just call him hot!!!

“What?!” Dave exclaims, clearly exasperated.

“You’re really aesthetically pleasing and I like you already!” He shouts.

Dave hesitates, face contorted in confusion, before breaking out into a grin.

“You’re serious?"

“Y-yeah,” Karkat really hopes he’s not on some hidden camera show right now.

“Okay. Um, Karkat?” Dave asks.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Can I..” Dave faltures, a sick look crossing his features.

“What?” Karkat asks, suddenly worried.

“Nothing, it’s just me,” He swallows and tries again, “I was just going to ask if I could, uh, kiss you? Maybe? It doesn’t have to be on the lips!” Dave seems hesitant and starts to backtrack, wavering in his seat.

Karkat smiles then think better- just in case this is some sort of prank. “No that’s a little too early. Maybe soon though?”

Dave smiles back. He looks blinding.

Karkat feels good right now for what feels like the first time in a while.

His head pounded.

“What's wrong?” Dave asks and Karkat realizes he grimaced.

“Nothing, my head just hurts.” Karkat waves the other off.

“I should probably get a doctor, huh?” Dave says it sadly- like he never wanted this moment to end.

“Why am I in here? This is a hospital, right?” Karkat asks before Dave can stand to leave.

Dave looks at him with dull eyes, something inside of him long dead. “You tried to drown yourself.”

Oh.

Dave stands and walks outside the room, leaving Karkat alone with his thoughts.

Did he try to kill himself?


	2. Waiting for Him to Wake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so the neighborhood released a new album and i cant stop listening to it lol... yeah thats pretty much all thats new in my life

Dave is acutely aware of every twitch and movement Karkat makes as he lays on the bed. Its agonizing, not knowing if he was ever going to wake up. It'd been days now, entire days of nothing but a ghost in the sheets next to him, a limp hand in his.

Other people come and go, some friends, some family, Dave doesn’t really recognize any of them.

It’s late at night when he hears a cough, feels a twitch that wasn’t there before. He turns on the light and is met with grey eyes, the beautiful bit of blue around the edges still there and more dominant than ever.

“Hi,” Karkat chokes out and Dave wants to wince at how painful it sounded.

“Hey,” He replied, not knowing what else to say.

He swallows in the silence they are left in, Karkat just _staring_ at his face.

“Who are you?” Karkat suddenly asks, bewildered.

“What do you mean ‘who am I’?!?” Dave asks, feeling just as confused.

This had to be some sort of sick joke.

“I mean why are you in my room... “ Karkat asks before trailing off, glancing around the room with a strange look on his face.

“You’re in the hospital Karkat, you tried to kill yourself.” Dave tries to gain his attention, to remind him of who he was and why he was here. It wasn't fair that he didn’t have to remember and Dave did. If Dave could forget, would he?

“Karkat?” He asks when he realizes they've both spaced out.

“How do you know my name?” He asks.

“Do... you really not know who I am?” Dave questions.

Karkat only shook his head, making Dave’s stomach drop. He felt cold as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water down his back.

“I’m- I'm Dave.” He tries, feeling like he’s falling and can’t catch himself.

“Cool.” Karkat looks down at their conjoined hands and wrinkled his forehead, squeezing Dave’s hand who squeezes back.

“Is this, I mean, are you okay with this?” Dave asks, nodding toward their hands. Wondering if he was fucking up.

Karkat just nods, wordless.

“So, like, what do you remember?” Dave asks.

Karkat is silent for a moment, “What do you mean?”

“Like what's the last thing you remember?” Dave asks.

“I think I went for a swim,” Karkat reaches up for his head, “But it hurts.”

“It’s okay, I'm sorry,” Dave says quickly, not wanting to hurt him. Wanting to somehow take the pain away and make it his, so his love would never have to experience it again.

Karkat looks at him and smiles wide, creeping Dave out slightly.

“What?” Dave asks.

“Are you my boyfriend?” Karkat asks, glancing down to their hands interlocked.

Dave is taken aback by this, “No! I mean, not really. It was never official. It didn’t work out.” He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to react to this.

“Then why...?” He asks, squeezing Dave’s hand again.

“Because..” Dave looks down to their hands and untangles their fingers, feeling uncomfortable with having to face the severity of the situation. “I don't know. I’m sorry.”

It felt wrong, was he taking advantage of Karkat? He didn’t remember all that had happened, what if he remembered and hated him all over again? Dave couldn’t handle that, couldn’t go through losing Karkat again.

“Who are you to me?” Karkat asks after a moment of silence and It takes Dave a while to answer, trying not to make eye contact.

“We used to be best friends.”

“What happened?” Karkat questions.  

It takes a good while for Dave to answer, trying to pick his words carefully. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing and mislead Karkat, or explain their history in a misleading way. He needed to be honest. “You avoided me for weeks and lied to my face. It hurt a lot, you told me you were moving when I said ‘I love you,’ you never even said it back.”

“Oh.” Karkat sounded far off.

“If you never liked me like that… I couldn’t take to hear it. I blocked you on everything and never gave you the chance to turn me down.” Dave confesses, knowing that he was in the wrong. That it was ultimately his fault.

He shouldn’t have done that. He should have let Karkat speak, even if it was to let him down easy, he had just been a huge baby about the whole situation.

“Well, I uh, would you want to maybe…” Karkat stutters and it confuses Dave.

“What?” Dave asks.

“Try again?” Karkat says and now it's getting on Dave’s nerves.

“What are you talking about?!” Dave questions, an edge to his voice.

“I mean saying I love you again!” Karkat says and it stuns Dave.

“You mean, you don’t remember me, and you want to say ‘I love you’?”

Dave can’t believe this.

“I just mean you’re- uh so- uh” And Karkat is stumbling over himself again, stuttering and blushing like an idiot. A really cute idiot.

“What?!” Dave urges.

“You’re really aesthetically pleasing and I like you already!” Karkat practically screams and it makes Dave question everything he ever knew.

“You’re serious?"

“Y-yeah,” Karkat sounds unsure.

“Okay. Um, Karkat?” Dave asks.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.” Dave feels like this might be a bad idea.

“I love you too.” But it’s everything he’s ever wanted. He never knew he needed to hear that as bad as he did. It felt like his whole world shifted like the sun came out on a cold fall day.

Dave wants to kiss him.

“Can I..” Dave goes to ask, wants to ask, before getting a flash of the last kiss he had, his stomach rolling. His vision swimming. He’s so tired of the memories.

“What?” Karkat sounds worried.

“Nothing, it’s just me,” He swallows and tries again, “I was just going to ask if I could, uh, kiss you? Maybe? It doesn’t have to be on the lips!” Dave starts to wonder if this was a mistake, if he took it a step too far, not like saying ‘i love you’ was too far or anything, now he was overthinking everything, great.

But Karkat just smiles, “No that’s a little too early. Maybe soon though?”

Dave smiles back. Maybe this could be okay?

Karkat cringes, hand going up to his head, cupping and rubbing at his hairline.

“What's wrong?” Dave asks worried, wondering the worse.

“Nothing, my head just hurts.” Karkat tries to wave him off.

“I should probably get a doctor, huh?” Dave says it sadly, not wanting this moment to end. Wanting to be happy and here with Karkat forever.

For all he knew he’d realize he didn’t like Dave and they’d go back to not speaking. For all he knew he was crossing some unspoken line, some sacred ‘i was in the wong space’ type shit.

“Why am I in here? This is a hospital, right?” Karkat asks, and Dave wants to laugh.

“You tried to drown yourself.” He says simply.

Dave stands and walks outside the room, finding no one in the hallway, bare of people. So he wanders down the hallway, looking for a doctor or a nurse or someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C O M M E N T P L S


	3. Learning How to Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It-it’s been a while,” Dave mumbles, and Karkat barely hears it.
> 
> “Been a while since what?” Karkat asks, completely oblivious.
> 
> “Since- nevermind, it’s stupid,” Dave starts backpedaling like crazy.
> 
> “No, what?!” Karkat asks exasperated, squeezing the hand in his.
> 
> “Since I asked if we could,” Dave stops and ducks his head, color quickly flushing all over his face, “Could kiss,” he finally mutters out, and it makes Karkat smile wide, showing his teeth and hurting his cheeks.
> 
> “Yeah, it has been a few days,” Karkat says, hoping he had a suggestive tone to his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE END MY LIFE

Karkat was slowly starting to remember things.

He remembers nights with Dave, staying up until ungodly hours of the morning, just talking, about anything and everything, spending time together and enjoying each other’s company.

He remembers laughing so hard his stomach hurt, remembers smiling so much for so long his cheeks ache. But he can’t quite put his finger on the joke- like it was just out of reach. He didn’t know why he felt like remembering the joke was so important, it just felt like it was.

Little moments that get caught in his throat, remembering things with a new perspective, looking at it with the knowledge that he has now. Knowing for sure that Dave liked him, loved him even.

It made everything look different- like he was looking through rose-tinted glasses, everything looked colored and full of life. He remembers little touches, little moments that meant nothing, and adds his own meaning to it. Believes he sees the love in Dave’s eyes.

But what bugged him were the things he couldn’t remember.

He couldn’t remember his home address- or his own phone number.

Couldn’t remember some friends names, knew their face but couldn’t place a word to match it. So he just awkwardly laughs and calls them ‘buddy.’ He felt so horrible about it, knowing these people cared about him, and he couldn’t even remember their name.

“Karkat?” One of them asks, and Karkat panics.

“Yeah, buddy?” He says back, and the weird look he gets makes him feel odd.

“Are you feeling okay? You don’t seem like… you,” The kid says and Karkat tilts his head, confused.

“What do you mean?” He asks.

“Yeah, John, what do you mean?” Dave asks from the other side of the bed, and Karkat tries his hardest to remember that this kids name is John, tries to commit it to his mind.

“I just mean like, we don’t see you for a year and when you come back you try to kill yourself, but when you wake up you seem so much… happier? Than when you left. That’s all, I just want to know what changed.” John explains, using his hands as if that would help get his point across.

Karkat thinks, genuinely tries to remember why he jumped off that pier. But nothing surfaces.

“I-I guess I just don’t remember what made me so sad?” Karkat says it like it’s a question, unsure of himself, of his own mind.

This makes the kid- John- frown, “What _do_ you remember?” He asks and Karkat feels that sinking feeling in his gut again, like he’s supposed to know more than he does- like he’s being left out on some important information.

“I…” Karkat stops, realizing that it isn’t much, realizing that what he remembers is long ago and meaningless now, “I remember your ninth birthday party, it was the first birthday party I ever went to willingly. You somehow convinced me to be your friend and we played with water guns in your backyard.”

John smiles softly and glances away, looks at Dave with a sad look on his face.

“That was a good birthday.” He says softly, and Karkat feels like he’s missing something.

“Hey, Dave, will you step outside with me?” John suddenly asks as he stands, and Dave nods before they both walk outside of Karkat’s room.  

Now he really felt out of the loop, wondering what his friends were chatting about outside the door, John glancing in and waving to Karkat.

Finally, they both come back in, John bidding Karkat farewell and leaving him and Dave alone again.

Dave resumes his rightful spot sitting beside Karkat in the uncomfortable looking chair, and the question falls from his mouth before he can stop it, “Why do you hide your eyes around everyone?"

Dave stiffens and glances at Karkat, reaches up and touches the glasses that sit on the bridge of his nose as if he was checking to make sure they were still there. “No one else has seen them.” He says and it surprises Karkat.

“I’m the only one?” It brings a weird breathless feeling to his gut, watching Dave remove the glasses and blink slowly at him from behind his blond lashes.

“Y-yeah,” Dave says it like it’s obvious, and Karkat gets a sudden, violent memory.

_“I’ll clean it up! I promise!” Dave begs for his life, kneeling on the ground in his kitchen, surrounded by broken bits of plaster._

_“You’re my best friend and I love you!” Karkat says it without thinking, blurts it from his mouth with no forethought._

_Red. Dave’s eyes were a beautiful scarlet color, one that reminded Karkat of the blood in his veins, of the sunset on a hot summer afternoon._

“I-I remember,” Karkat says it slowly- like it might be a fake memory- like he’s imagining it and not remembering it.

“Remember what?” Dave asks.

“You dropped a plate and freaked out, I saw your eyes for the first time.” Karkat’s studying Dave’s features- can tell that this memory holds true because of the shame that crosses Dave's face, how he looks away, bites his lip.

“Yeah,” He says it at just a whisper, and Karkat reaches out for his hand.

“I love you.” He says it like a reflex as if he’s been saying it to Dave all his life.

Dave smiles softly and squeezes his hand, “I love you, too.”

Karkat glances around the room again, checking for cameras, before his eyes find Dave again.

He was so beautiful with his shades off, Karkat couldn’t imagine not knowing what his friend looked like without them.

Dave smiles, “Whater’ you staring at, huh?” He asks with a playful tone to his voice, and Karkat catches somewhat of an accent.

“Are you southern?” He asks, trying to remember.

“Y-yeah,” Dave looks sad again, “I moved here about two years ago.”

“Oh.” Karkat wishes he remembered more. Wishes he didn’t have to keep asking questions.

“How…” He goes to ask before stopping, wondering if it was an appropriate time to ask.

Dave raises an eyebrow and squeezes Karkat’s hand, and he swallows gaining the courage.

“How did we meet?” He asks, feels ashamed that he doesn’t remember. Can’t remember.

Dave smiles, chuckles lightly and leans back in the stiff chair, “You saved me.”

“What?” Karkat asks.

“You came to my rescue, like a knight in shining armor.”

“Did not!” Karkat tries to rebuttal.

“Did to!” Dave shouts back, smiling wider now, “You showed up out of nowhere and told everyone to fuck off, yaknow, typical Karkat stuff.”

“Whatever,” Karkat mutters, angry that he can’t remember it, that he doesn’t know if Dave is lying or not.

“Hey,” Dave squeezes his hand again, something that makes Karkat smile lightly, “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just this whole amnesia thing sucks,” Karkat says, shrugs his shoulders.

They sit in comfortable silence for a moment, Karkat studying their conjoined hands, ignoring how Dave stared at him.  

“Have we ever… kissed before?” Karkat asks without looking up, not wanting to see the reaction on Dave’s face.

“No,” Dave says it frankly like it’s a fact, and Karkat wants to. Really, really wants to kiss him.

“Oh, alright.”

“Why?” Dave questions in a low voice and it sends shivers down Karkat’s spine.

“I-I just- was just wondering, no particular reason or anything-” Karkat is fumbling over himself, trying to explain his thought process.

‘You have nice lips’ sounded too creepy, and ‘l just really want to kiss you right now’ sounds fucking weird, and clingy as hell.

“Shut the fuck up,” Dave interrupts Karkat, thank god, and Karkat laughs openly.

“It-it’s been a while,” Dave mumbles, and Karkat barely hears it.

“Been a while since what?” Karkat asks, completely oblivious.

“Since- nevermind, it’s stupid,” Dave starts backpedaling like crazy.

“No, what?!” Karkat asks exasperated, squeezing the hand in his.

“Since I asked if we could,” Dave stops and ducks his head, the color quickly flushing all over his face, “Could kiss,” he finally mutters out, and it makes Karkat smile wide, showing his teeth and hurting his cheeks.

“Yeah, it has been a few days,” Karkat says, hoping he had a suggestive tone to his voice.

Dave doesn’t look up at him, eyes glued to their hands on the bed, and Karkat realizes this is going to be awkward as hell.

“So?” Karkat asks, trying to get Dave to say it, to say anything direct.

“So, do you, I don’t know, maybe, want to? Kiss?” Dave questions, squeezing his eyes shut, squeezing Karkat’s hand in his.

He can only smile again, this grin splitting his face in half.

“Sure,” He says, and Dave instantly releases the tension he was holding, looks up at Karkat with surprise in his wide eyes.

“Really?!” He questions, seemingly astonished.

Karkat shifts to sit up and bit and nods, trying to smother his smile at least a little bit. He didn’t want to creep Dave out or anything.

Dave sits up too, straightens in his chair and suddenly he’s tall and it makes Karkat a little angry. How dare he be so tall sitting down, the long torsoed shit.

Karkat leans in a little scared, nerves on fire and- Dave meets him in the middle and suddenly they're kissing.

Well, their lips were pressed together, and Karkat wondered if this was all kissing ever was. No, he clearly remembers watching more than this happen on tv and videos online.

Karkat has his eyes screwed shut, but feels the hand in his hair, guiding his head to the side. Karkat tilts with the motions, lets the hand usher him, and turning makes their lips slide together nicely, Dave moving to a quiet rhythm back and forth, opening his mouth and toying with Karkat’s lips with experience.

Karkat felt stunned, absolutely shocked at how good of a kisser Dave was, that he knew exactly what he was doing. He expected them both to fumble around, for it to be awkward and unsure, for them to break apart after a second and giggle, say something like ‘that was nice.’

Not this skillful make-out session. It surprises him enough that he opens his eyes, takes a cross-eyed look at Dave, so close to his own face. He has his own eyes closed tightly, and Karkat suddenly feels awkward. Like he didn’t know what to do.

He remembers he’s never kissed anyone before.

Dave pulls away from him, eyes still closed and skin looking three shades shy of being on fire. Karkat watches him peek an eye open, then the other one, before looking at him wholly. Eyes a riveting crimson color, Karkat meets them with trepidation. Was he a bad kisser? He felt like he didn’t know what to do, felt out of place, felt like that might not have been the answer.

“So,” Dave starts, always with the talking, “Yeah-”

“Why are you so good at that?” Karkat interrupts him.

Dave looks away.

“I don’t know, I was born with it?” He says it like he’s angry, spiteful at the question. Karkat thinks he made a mistake.

“I just mean, you're really good, and I just-” Karkat tries, and fails.

He opens his mouth to speak again and nothing comes out. Karkat feels like he forgot how to speak, that function was missing from his internal menu.

Dave won’t look at him.

He made a mistake.

“That was really good. I liked kissing you,” Karkat manages to choke it out, feels out of place saying it, like it was going too far- like it might be too much too fast that Dave will be freaked out that-

Dave kisses him again, leans in a captures his lips firmly. It shuts Karkat’s mind off like a switch, and he tries to focus on keeping up with Dave's twists and turns, little nips and the wet way they sounded when they separated. It sent shivers down Karkat’s spine.

He looks up at Dave, realizes he had his eyes closed, and sees him beaming back at Karkat.

“Thank you,” Dave says it like Karkat didn’t fuck up- like everything was okay, and Karkat sighed with relief.

Dave leaned in one last time for a sweet peck, something so quick Karkat could only blink at him before he was back in his own bubble, sitting seemingly so far away in his chair.

Maybe this could be okay.

Maybe they could be okay.

Karkat got a violent and sudden memory, one of Dave’s voice over the phone, _“Can I come to see you?”_ And it pulls at Karkat’s heartstrings.

“What was with that day John called me?” Karkat asks, and it’s Dave’s turn to be confused.

“What day?” Dave asks, and it pisses off Karkat a little bit.

“The day you were freaking out and I had to calm you down!” Karkat says it- and realizes that Dave might not remember, that he might have blocked it out somehow.

“Oh, that day.” And Dave says it like it’s common knowledge, oh right, that one. So causal that Karkat is wondering if they are remembering the same day.

“I found out some stuff about my brother. And I decided not to live there anymore.” Dave says it like its something hard to say- like he never wanted it to happen like he missed his brother every day. And Karkat bet he did, he knew he missed his brother.

“What did you find out?” Karkat can’t help but ask.

“Do you really want to know?” Dave asks, finally facing Karkat, making him speechless at the way he looks, the beauty in his face, the set of his eyes and the way his chin curves.

“Of course.” Is the only way Karkat knows how to reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I STG IF YOU DONT COMMENT PLEASE JUST TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT HOW THIS STORY MADE YOU FEEL OR SOMETHING YOUD LIKE TO SEE IN THE FUTURE I WANT FEEDBACK BUT YOURE ALL SO SILENT I KNOW YOURE OUT THERE LEAVE A FUCKING COMMENT YOU SHY BASTARD I LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	4. Knowing How To Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you really want to know?” Dave asks, finally facing Karkat, taking in his appearance. Trying to commit it to memory, feeling like he might never get another opportunity.
> 
> “Of course.” Karkat says it casually, like its nothing.
> 
> Dave takes a breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo back to that The Neighborhood album, its called Hard To Imagine the Neighborhood Ever Changing and my fav songs are: Kill us all, You Get Me So High, Reflections, and Nervous (which im thinking about featuring on the next part of What Really Happened because let me tell you that song is perfect for Dave i love it pls go listen)

Karkat was acting weird.

Dave didn’t know how to describe it. It’s like he wasn't himself, was acting like another person had infiltrated Karkat’s body. This person was happier, considered everyone his friend. Dave may not have been in contact with Karkat for a year, but he knows him god damn it.

And it was infuriating, not knowing why this change had happened.

Just as Dave makes a mental note of it John speaks up from his side of the bed, looking at Karkat with a worried look on his face.

“Karkat?” He asks.

“Yeah, buddy?” Karkat replies and Dave has to control the scowl that almost crossed his features. Buddy? What the fuck was wrong with Karkat?

"Are you feeling okay? You don’t seem like… you,” John says and Karkat tilts his head at him, looking confused.

“What do you mean?” He asks.

“Yeah, John, what do you mean?” Dave pipes up from his spot on the opposite side of the bed.

“I just mean like, we don’t see you for a year and when you come back you try to kill yourself, but when you wake up you seem so much… happier? Than when you left. That’s all, I just want to know what changed.” John explains, using his hands as if that would help get his point across.

Karkat thinks for a moment, looking focused with his eyebrows drawn together. Dave glances at John and they share a look. You know the kind, the one that screams ‘this isn’t good’ without saying or doing anything at all.

“I-I guess I just don’t remember what made me so sad?” Karkat says it like it’s a question, sounding unsure of himself.

Dave wonders if that’s a bad thing. If not knowing what caused his depression was good for now, would make him happier in the long run. It was nice to think about, a nice thought.

However, this makes John frown, “What _do_ you remember?”

“I… I remember your ninth birthday party, it was the first birthday party I ever went to willingly. You somehow convinced me to be your friend and we played with water guns in your backyard.” Karkat says it like it’s a fact, and Dave wasn't here for that, can’t attest.

John smiles softly and glances away, looks at Dave with a sad look on his face.

“That was a good birthday.” He says softly, and Dave knows what's coming next. Doesn't want to face it.

“Hey, Dave, will you step outside with me?” John suddenly asks as he stands, and Dave can only nod before he follows him outside of Karkat’s room.  

He closes the door behind them and John immediately starts, “This is bad, Dave.”

“What do you mean.” Dave tries to play stupid, knows how this conversation is going to go.

“He’s got like, major brain damage, or something!” John says, glancing in the window and waving to Karkat, “I’m pretty sure forgetting why he tried to kill himself is the major thing I'm worried about.”

John turns to Dave, “I’m worried about what happens when he remembers.”

Dave feels sick. They stand in uncomfortable silence for a moment before John walks over to the door, hand on the knob he says, “I need to get going, but you should keep him company.”

John opens the door and bids Karkat farewell, leaving them alone again.

Suddenly Karkat asks out of nowhere, “Why do you hide your eyes around everyone?"

Dave stiffens and glances at him, reaches up and touches the glasses that sit on the bridge of his nose, checking to make sure they were still there. “No one else has seen them.” He says honestly, forgot that he didn’t have them on when Karkat woke up. That he placed them on his face the moment he found another person, keeps them there in the presence of anyone, other than just when they're alone. Like they are right now.

“I’m the only one?” Karkat asks.

Dave swallows- reach up and takes them off. Glances at Karkat before looking at him fully, the harsh lighting in the room making him squint slightly.

“Y-yeah,” Dave replies.

“I-I remember,” Karkat says it slowly like he didn’t trust it.

“Remember what?” Dave asks, confused. Karkat was slowly starting to remember things, bringing them up to clarify and validate. It made Dave happy, that Karkat was slowly returning to himself the more he remembered things.

Was that selfish? Wanting Karkat to remember what made him so sad just so he’ll stop being this confusing stranger.

“You dropped a plate and freaked out, I saw your eyes for the first time,” Karkat says it so casually- like it was a nice memory and not a traumatic experience.

Dave feels the heat crawl up his neck, feels the tips of his ears burn, and doesn't look at Karkat, just bites his lip to keep silent.

“Yeah,” He forces out of his mouth, and Karkat reaches out for his hand, Dave obliging and tangling their fingers together.

“I love you,” Karkat says out of the blue, and it makes Dave smile to himself softly. He liked hearing that.

“I love you, too.”

Karkat glances around the room again before his eyes find Dave.

He just looks for a while, making Dave grow nervous.

Dave smiles awkwardly, “Whater’ you staring at, huh?” He asks with a playful tone to his voice, and Karkat tilts his head like a cute puppy.

“Are you southern?” He asks, and it makes Dave sad.

Karkat didn’t remember anything about him. How could he say ‘I love you’ when it’s like they just met again for the first time? Karkat was this whole new person, meeting Dave like in the beginning, like they were starting over and trying again.

“Y-yeah,” Dave feels his gut drop, “I moved here about two years ago.”

“Oh. How…” Karkat stops short glancing away from Dave, who raises an eyebrow and squeezes Karkat’s hand, making him swallow, seemingly gaining the courage.

“How did we meet?” He asks, finally, and Dave smiles at the memory.

He chuckles lightly and leans back in the stiff chair, “You saved me.”

“What?” Karkat asks.

“You came to my rescue, like a knight in shining armor.”

“Did not!” Karkat tries to rebuttal.

“Did to!” Dave shouts back, smiling wider now, “You showed up out of nowhere and told everyone to fuck off, yaknow, typical Karkat stuff.”

“Whatever,” Karkat mutters, looking away with a strange look on his face.

“Hey,” Dave squeezes his hand again, “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just this whole amnesia thing sucks,” Karkat says, shrugs his shoulders.

They sit in comfortable silence for a moment, and Dave takes the time to be thankful his friend is alive. He studies his face, looks at the cuts and bruises that are slowly but surely fading.

“Have we ever… kissed before?” Karkat asks suddenly, and it shocks Dave.

He remembers all those times he really really wanted to. When he convinced himself that Karkat hated him.

“No,” Dave says it frankly, not really wanting to go down that road again. Didn’t want to give himself the chance. No matter how much he wanted it.

No matter how much it felt like he needed it.

“Oh, alright,” and Karkat sounds disappointed.

“Why?” Dave questions.

“I-I just, was just wondering, no particular reason or anything-” Karkat is fumbling over himself, trying to explain his thought process.

“Shut the fuck up,” Dave interrupts him, can’t listen to his stuttering anymore, and Karkat laughs openly. Something that makes Dave smile.

Dave really really wanted to kiss Karkat.

“It-it’s been a while,” Dave mumbles, realizes that this might be a mistake.

“Been a while since what?” Karkat asks, completely oblivious.

“Since- nevermind, it’s stupid,” Dave starts backpedaling like crazy.

“No, what?!” Karkat asks exasperated, squeezing the hand in his.

“Since I asked if we could,” Dave stops and ducks his head, feeling the red on his face creep down, feeling it scald the tips of his ears, “Could kiss,” he finally mutters out.

“Yeah, it has been a few days,” Karkat says, and Dave feels like he’s imagining the suggestive tone to his voice.

Dave doesn’t look up at him, eyes glued to their hands on the bed.

“So?” Karkat asks, and he’s really going to make Dave say it. He was really going to make Dave spit the words out of his mouth.

“So, do you, I don’t know, maybe, want to? Kiss?” Dave questions, not realizing he shut his eyes until he hears Karkat’s reply of, “Sure,” making his eyes shoot open and look over to the boy.

“Really?!” He questions, feeling absolutely astonished.

Karkat was seriously willing to kiss Dave. He was speechless.

Karkat shifts to sit up and bit and nods, smiling wide.

Dave sits up too, straightens in his chair and after a hesitant moment Karkat leans in, and Dave can only meet him in the middle and suddenly they're kissing.

Dave realized that Karkat wasn't moving, wondered if he remembered how to kiss and smiled slightly, so he threaded his fingers through those plush raven curls and guides Karkat’s head slightly, giving him direction. Dave moving to a quiet rhythm back and forth, opening his mouth and toying with Karkat’s lips with experience.

Dave realizes he enjoys kissing Karkat. That this is okay.

Dave pulls away from him, eyes still closed and skin feeling burning hot to the touch. He waits a moment for something to happen and when nothing does he peeks an eye open, then the other one, before looking at Karkat wholly.

“So,” Dave starts, not really knowing where he’s going with it, just wanting to fill the silence, “Yeah-”

“Why are you so good at that?” Karkat interrupts him.

Dave looks away, he feels like he’s unable to breathe. He wants to take it as a compliment, knows he should, but something about the tone in Karkat’s voice makes him angry.

“I don’t know, I was born with it?” He says it spiteful. It’s not his fault. He knows it’s not their fault, either of them, but he can’t shake this feeling.

“I just mean, you're really good, and I just-” Karkat tries, and fails. They sit in a rough silence and Dave feels like crying.

The memories were the worst, remembering his brother. Remembering the smooth way he kisses, comparing it to the way Karkat fumbles awkwardly.

“That was really good. I liked kissing you,” And somehow it’s exactly what Dave needed to hear. He smiles and leans forward again, capturing Karkat’s lips in another kiss, leans in a captures his lips frimley. Dave has fun throwing Karkat down little twists and turns. The wet way they sounded when they seperated. It sent shivers down Karkat’s spine, Dave could see, and it brought a smile to his face.

“Thank you,” Dave leaned in one last time for a sweet peck, something so quick Karkat could only blink at him before he was back in his own bubble, sitting in his chair.

Maybe this could be okay.

Maybe they could be okay.

“What was with that day John called me?” Karkat asks, and it’s Dave’s turn to be confused.

“What day?” Dave asks.

“The day you were freaking out and I had to calm you down!” And Dave remembers the day exactly, remembers seeing his brother, remembers trying to stand up for himself. Remembers what happened because of it.

Remembers what happened. Doesn’t want to remember.

“Oh, that day. I found out some stuff about my brother, and I decided not to live there anymore.” Dave forces it from his mouth with a knot in his throat, wondering if he was really going to tell Karkat. Wondering if this was really going to happen.

“What did you find out?” Karkat asks.

“Do you really want to know?” Dave asks, finally facing Karkat, taking in his appearance. Trying to commit it to memory, feeling like he might never get another opportunity.

“Of course,” Karkat says it casually, like its nothing.

Dave takes a breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :LKD:KSJFC O M M E N T LS:DJFKLDJ


	5. Learning About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Used you for what?” He has to ask, doesn’t really know what Dave is getting at.
> 
> Dave looks away, stares at the floor while his face floods with color. The silence is deafening, screaming at Karkat to say something, to comfort his friend in some way.
> 
> “You- you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Karkat tries, only for Dave to glance at him, looking to be on the brink of tears.
> 
> He watches Dave take a deep breath before breathing out, “He used me to make himself happy.” Is all that he can seem to force out, voice stopping short like it’s caught in his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jd;lkfj;lskdjflsjfdljhas

“Just spit it out,” Karkat says after a long moment of silence, trying to get Dave to go forward with this conversation.

“He used me,” Dave says it like he feels broken, empty and useless. It breaks Karkat’s heart.

“Used you for what?” He has to ask, doesn’t really know what Dave is getting at.

Dave looks away, stares at the floor while his face floods with color. The silence is deafening, screaming at Karkat to say something, to comfort his friend in some way.

“You- you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Karkat tries, only for Dave to glance at him, looking to be on the brink of tears.

He watches Dave take a deep breath before breathing out, “He used me to make himself happy.” Is all that he can seem to force out, voice stopping short like it’s caught in his throat.

They sit in an uncomfortable silence the seems to stretch on and on until Dave suddenly stands.

“I-I need to go,” He speaks at just above a whisper, shuffling toward the door with his head down.

“Wait-” Karkat goes to say, but the door closing behind Dave cuts him off.

He was alone again, one of the first times since he woke up. Usually, either Dave or his dad were by his side.

_“He used me to make himself happy.”_

Suddenly Karkat gets a memory, a chill running down his spine.

_“Bro’s the coolest,” Dave says with a big smile on his face-_

_“Oh, These?” Dave points to the gnarly bruise on his side, the color a deep purple, “Bro gave me these during strife, sick, right?-”_

_“Nah, he doesn't really buy me much anymore. I mean sure we went on cool ass shopping sprees when I was little but I kinda grew out of that-”_

_Dave with tears in his eyes in the middle of his kitchen, shattered plaster all around him, the tears in his eyes exposed for Karkat to see for the very first time, “Please!” He cries for his life. Karkat wonders who could have done this to Dave-_

Karkat thinks he finally knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comm??ent???? Ma?ybe????


	6. Talking About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Used you for what?” Karkat asks, and Dave looks away, stares at the floor while he feels his face heat up. Dave remembered his brothers face from behind his glasses, remembers seeing himself in the reflection of his eyes.
> 
> “You- you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Karkat tries, and Dave glances at him, feeling like he’s on the brink of tears.
> 
> Dave wondered exactly how to go about this, how to make this as easy to explain as possible.
> 
> He remembers his brother, the lips on his, the hand in his hair.
> 
> Dave takes a deep breath before breathing out, “He used me to make himself happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lsdjflsdlkfjlksdfjl

“Just spit it out,” Karkat says after a long moment of silence, and Dave doesn't know what to say, how to say what he’s thinking.

How do you explain something like this?

“He used me,” Dave says it and it finally clicks for him. Like saying it out loud made it all real, it wasn't this dream he’s been having, it’s not an alternate universe, it's real and has been happening to him for years.

“Used you for what?” Karkat asks, and Dave looks away, stares at the floor while he feels his face heat up. Dave remembered his brothers face from behind his glasses, remembers seeing himself in the reflection of his eyes.

“You- you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Karkat tries, and Dave glances at him, feeling like he’s on the brink of tears.

Dave wondered exactly how to go about this, how to make this as easy to explain as possible.

He remembers his brother, the lips on his, the hand in his hair.

Dave takes a deep breath before breathing out, “He used me to make himself happy.”

He remembers his brother, the hands-on him, the hands roaming where they never should have.

They sit in an uncomfortable silence the seems to stretch on until Dave can’t take it anymore, and stands to leave.

“I-I need to go,” He says, shuffling toward the door with his head down.

Once outside of Karkat's room he takes a deep breath and calms his fraying nerves.

He remembers cameras and red lights, he remembers being hollow and empty.

He doesn't want to remember. Doesn’t want to miss it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these r so short im stuck and i need some inspo, so if you wanna see something from this story comment and ill see what i can do!!!!!!


	7. Forgetting Who You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Where are we?" Karkat finally speaks, seemingly dazed. 
> 
> "What?" Dave responds clueless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LFHLJHHFJLHFSHFJ

Karkat was released after two weeks, with most of his memory returning.

Most of it, anyway.

They started playing a game of ‘remember when’ where Dave would try to think of his happiest memories with Karkat, describe them in detail to jog his friend's memory.

“Remember when…” Dave stops with his head in his hand, bow-legged on the ground with his ankles crossed. “Okay okay I've got a good one,” Dave smiles and nudges Karkat where they sit side by side, “Remember when you skipped school to-”

At this Karkat bursts into laughter, yes, remembering, and knowing exactly where this was going.

“-Stop laughing! Remember when you skipped school to-” Dave stops to let his own giggle out, rocking back slightly before regaining himself, “To go swimming, and then,” Dave can’t help but laugh harder as Karkat continued to lose his shit at the memory. “Then you got all sick for like two weeks?! And I had to take care of you and bring you soup?”

“Yes! I remember that. I remember feeling like shit for two weeks. I remember you info-dumping on me about soup! Of all things, soup.” Karkat speaks between laughs.

Dave sighed as his laughter died down, looking over to Karkat who beamed back at him. He looked amazing, genuinely happy and smiling ear to ear. The bruises covering his body had begun to fade, and the-

“What the fuck are you looking at?” Karkat says, sultry and knowingly.

“Shut the fuck up,” Dave shoots back, and at this Karkat looks offended, placing a hand on his chest.

“Excuse me?” He says, shocked.

“You heard me,” Dave replies.

It’s silent for a few minutes, Dave watching their group of friends splash each other in the shallows, hearing their laughter and shouts from the shoreline. Most of them had left for college or jobs, they all graduated and started building their lives and Dave couldn’t be more proud.

Most had returned when news of Karkat had gotten out, he was loved dearly by everyone and they all dropped what they were doing and rushed to see him at the hospital those first few days, the ones who couldn’t leave made sure to send their wishes. Dave loved them.

“Do you remember when we were young and happy?” Karkat asked, concentrating gaze still on the book in his hands. “Do you ever wish we could turn back time?” Dave could tell by the look on his face that he hadn’t been reading for the past few minutes, his mind getting lost in his thoughts.

“No,” Dave answered with such certainty and determination in his voice that Karkat’s head snapped up, eyebrows drew together and confusion clear on his face.

“What? Why?” Karkat made to add something but seemed reluctant, “Don’t you want to be happy and oblivious?” Karkat seemed to idolize his childhood when he still believed in what his father preached- when he made good grades- when he woke up every morning happy to be alive.

Dave sighed before turning and giving Karkat his full attention. “No, I would never go back. I mean, sure I didn’t know what refrigerators were used for and didn’t have the crushing weight of existence crippling my every move. But I’d never go back.”

Karkat sat for a moment processing this and forming a reply. “Why?” He finally settled on asking.

“Why?” Dave repeated the question, tilting his head. “Well, I’d like to think it’s because I’m all about ‘No Regrets’ and ‘Yolo’,” He paused and licked his lips before continuing. “But honestly I think it’s because I know going back won’t fix anything. I’ll just grow up again. I just have to convince myself that it gets better and that I have to keep moving forward.”

Karkat nodded, eyes slowly retreating back to his book. “What part are you at?” Dave asked, watching Karkat flip back a page or two.

“Well, it's still building. One of them sees the signs but refuses to make a move on suspicion to keep from jeopardizing what they have now. The other knows they have some sort of feeling but haven't accepted what it really is yet. I hope someone makes a move soon, the wait is killing me.” Karkat spoke as he scanned the pages, trying to find the exact spot he left off.

Dave nodded in understanding, “Story of my life,” he mumbled under his breath, scanning the horizon where the sky seemed to blend into the water, finally settling over the group of friends playing in the water not too far from the shore.

He watched for a few moments perplexed, wondering how they could play at the edge of a massive void with recorded depths deeper than Mount Everest is tall, home to giant squids and whales 100 feet wide and weigh 150 tons. No fucking thank you.

“What?” The question made him tear his gaze from the water and back to a confused looking Karkat, head tilted and eyes narrowed.

“What?” He repeated, giving the other an equally confused face.

“What did you just say, you mumbled something under your breath.” Karkat pointed a finger at him accusingly, only glancing away as a dog trotted by with a jogger.

“I said you suck.” Dave deadpanned, immediately dodging the book Karkat swung at him and snickering at the sour look on the others face. It was happening more and more often, and it was really starting to get on his nerves. Letting his hand rest a little too long, getting caught staring during little moments that meant nothing. Seeing something at a store and thinking of him, wanting to buy it instead of the original item, just to see his smile.

It was just- being around Karkat was so easy. Despite his general touchiness, Karkat was the most heartfelt person Dave has ever meet. He was so endearing it was infuriating.

“You're doing it again” Karkat's voice brought him back, glancing up to the others knowing gaze. Ever since Dave's little break down in the park so long ago he can't stop searching the other boy's eyes for the blue that lurks just around the inner edge. “What are you thinking so hard about? You know you can talk to me, right?”

Dave nodded and swallowed thickly, cursing Karkat for being so observant and knowing his little queues.

“Yeah- I know, don’t worry.” He says, nodding again.

Time seems to go by so slowly here, at this moment. Dave felt the wind in his hair, jostling the strands in the direction of the breeze, the smell of salt prominent in the air. He could hear the seagulls down the beach crying out for each other, could hear the laughter of his friends, their intermediate screaming combined with the noise of the waves crashing up against the shore.

The sound of them receding only to crash back down. Again and again, Dave had learned to find it soothing.

“I love you,” Dave says out of nowhere, turning toward Karkat, catching the small smile that flashes across his face before the other straightens back out.

“I know.” Is his response.

Dave just shakes his head, looking back out into the horizon.

"Where are we?" Suddenly Karkat questions- and Dave laughs knowing the implications. They were where Karkat had jumped not three weeks ago. Same beach, different area.

"Don't say shit like that." He says, looking over to Karkat lazily. Before doing a double take from behind his shades, not sure of what he was seeing.

Karkat looked genuinely frightened.

"Hey." He says quickly, sitting up more and facing him.

Karkat blinks wide-eyed, glassy looking and filled with nothing but terror.

"Are you okay?" Dave asks, getting up and onto his knees, inspecting Karkat's face up close from behind his shades.  

His hands frame the other boys face, concern gazing into fear.

"I'm scared," Karkat says grasping Dave at the wrist.

"It's okay," Dave says soothingly, not wanting to work the other boy up more by being outwardly worried, although all he can imagine is brain damage.

Karkat blinks away a few tears, Dave immediately whipping them from his cheek. "Hey, shh, it's going to be okay, you're with me. You're safe." Dave babbled hated seeing Karkat so worked up, so emotional over nothing.

Karkat nodded and nuzzled into Dave's hand, him having to bite his lip to keep from saying something about the others questionable behavior, especially in public.

Karkat gets a few deep breaths in and Dave pulls away slightly, "You good now?" He questions with a smile.

Karkat smiles back, beams, and wipes at his eyes, nodding slightly and picking his book back up.

"Sorry," spills from his lips and Dave chuckles before responding,

"No need to, sugar." He takes note of the blush coating Karkat's cheeks, of the color in his eyes. The tracks down his face, the crease in his brow.

Finally, Dave pulls away and returns to his slouched behavior from before, gazing out into the ocean, watching the silhouette of his friends play along the shoreline.

“I just thought about something,” Karkat says, looking over from his book, squinting in the sunlight.

“And what's that?” Dave implores.

“Where the fuck have you been staying all this time?” Karkat questions, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.

Dave laughs, knocks his head back and almost slings his glasses off of his face when he swiveled his head back to face him. “Why are you just now concerned with that?”

Karkat shrugs, “It just came to mind, if you're not staying with your Bro then where were you staying?”

Dave turns back to the water, eyeing Karkat out of his peripherals. “I’ve been staying with this rich ass doctor.”

It had been two weeks, with most of Karkat’s memory returning.

Most of it, anyway.

“Oh, okay.”

“Do you remember me talking about him? He helped me when I broke my arm? And that one time I sprained my ankle?” Dave questions curiously, knowing that he had told Karkat about the man at some point.

Karkat tilts his head, looking to be deep in thought. “No?” He finally says, looking up at Dave with sad eyes.

Dave smiles back at him, trying to ease the other’s sorrow, “It’s okay, maybe next time.”

It's just, Karkat was growing weird the longer time went on. When he just woke up, Dave convinced himself it was a shock- it was his amnesia fucking with his physiological state. But as he 'remembers' things, this happy person who woke up, this summertime Karkat, was slowly morphing back into someone who Dave pitied. Someone who lurked on the edges.

They pack things up and head back to Dave's home where the small group has a nice fire in the backyard. When it's finally getting to be a little late, the group diffuses slowly until Karkat and Dave are left alone, driven inside by the bugs.

They had shared looks throughout the night, ones Dave could only describe as palpable. Eventually, Dave removed his glasses silently.

Dave was getting impatient. His mind ran a thousand miles a minute, all the things that could go wrong, and all the things that could go so delicious right.

Soon he was lost in thought, quietly enjoying his company.

“We should talk about this soon,” Dave says out of nowhere, what feels like hours later. He'd already spaced out multiple times, his only tell of the time being Karkat flipping a page every so often.

“Talk about what?” Karkat asks, confused.

They sit on the couch, little space between them, Karkat curled up between the arm of the sofa and Dave, a book in hand.

“About this,” Dave motions to the lack of space between them, and Karkat tilts his head.

“I like you,” Dave says bluntly, gazing at Karkat level, taking a moment to search the other boys face; taking in the crease of his brow, the squint of his eyes.

“I like you too,” Karkat tries, only for Dave to shake his head.

“No, Karkat, I fucking- I like, love you,” Dave stutters out finally, seeming to gain traction as he got started, “I fucking love being around you, and with you, and everything about you.”

Karkat smiles and opens his mouth to say something, only for Dave to reach in and surprise him. The kiss was gentle, something feather-light and breakable, but Karkat didn’t pull away.

Instead, he leans in, the book sliding from his hand, forgotten as the digits find Dave’s locks of golden silky hair. He tugs lightly, smiling into Dave’s mouth at the small sound he makes, just loud enough to be heard over the sound of Karkat's book hitting the ground. Dave's hands find the other boys waist and he grips tugs, and soon Karkat is coaxed onto his knees, too engrossed to notice himself being slid into Dave’s lap, effectively straddling the taller boy.

He toys with the edge of Karkat's shirt, fingers sneaking in under the fabric and caressing the smooth skin, and it's not long before Karkat has lifted the clothing up and over his head, having to break the kiss. They’re both panting, out of breath, and Karkat smiles when Dave allows his head to lull onto the back of the couch, grinding his hips upward against Karkat's bottom.

Karkat can feel the heat radiating from below him, can see the hunger in Dave’s face when he looks back up at him, and it makes his heart filled with an all-consuming fire.

"What are you-" Dave starts, looking over Karkat's body; biting his lip before he can say much more.

"It's just- is this not okay? I mean, like- is this alright?" Karkat responds, t-shirt in hand.  

Dave doesn't know how to respond. He looks Karkat over again, suddenly wishing he had his glasses on. "What do you mean?" Dave ponders aloud.

"I'm-" Karkat starts before it trails off, his eyes cut to the side, suddenly faltering.

Dave sits up slightly before grabbing the back of his own shirt, pulling it off and tossing it to the other side of the couch.

He turns to Karkat, sucking in a huge breath. "I'm okay if you are," he tries to calm the mood, to ease the tension in Karkat's shoulders.

Karkat doesn't respond.

Dave grows worried as the seconds' tick by; Karkat's blank stare and silenced voice didn’t help the rising panic boiling in the back of his throat. That absolute knowledge that Karkat was going to crawl off of him, that they were moving too fast.

"Where are we?" Karkat finally speaks, seemingly dazed.

"What?" Dave responds clueless.

"Who…" Karkat starts, looking between Dave's eyes, darting back and forth. "Red..?" he says questioningly.

Dave swallows, really really wishing he had his glasses.

"Are you fucking with me?" Dave questions, praying that it was the case. That this was some sort of sick joke.

Karkat shakes his head, and Dave remembers earlier that day at the beach. When Karkat suddenly wasn't himself. It terrified Dave, not knowing who was in front of him at this very moment. Who this stranger before him was.

"Let's…" Dave pushes against Karkat's hips, guiding him off of his lap and onto the space beside him. "Let's get your shirt back on, okay?" Dave starts.

"Wait, no," Karkat shakes his head, pushing against Dave, struggling. Dave was hit with the realization, trapping both of Karkat's wrists in one hand, that he was much smaller and weaker than Dave. Something inside of him twitches.

"Hey, it's okay-" Dave starts, trying to calm and restrain the boy at the same time, but Karkat is having none of it, squirming in Dave's hold and growing more panicked as time ticked on.

"What the fuck has gotten into you?!" Dave asks rhetorically, knowing full and well by the expression on his face that Karkat wasn't all there right now. A piece of him had left the building, went for a walk, wasn't available.

"You're scaring me-" and Dave realizes, hearing the crack in his voice, that he's on top of the other boy, effectively pinning him to he cushion beneath him. Realizes that he has both of Karkat's hands trapped in one of his, the other grabbing at his jaw to keep his face in place, keeping Karkat from giving himself whiplash. That sick part of him, something deep in his gut twitches again.

Karkat sucked in a huge breath and seemed to calm a bit, eyes glazing over, and somehow that worried Dave more than a fighting Karkat. There was nothing good about the dazed look in his eyes- or the way he blinked slowly at Dave.

"Karkat?" He says, patting the others cheek with the hand not holding Karkat to the couch.

"Yeah?" Karkat breathes and Dave can't help the sigh of relief that escapes him.

"Are you okay?" Dave asks, searching the boys face for anything that might give off on how he was feeling, what was going through his mind- if this was all some sort of sick joke.

Dave was taken aback by the idea of Karkat laughing in his face, _“Look at you, how worried you got!”_ of it being some sort of gimmick, a haha funny on Dave’s behalf. That Karkat had been fine all this time, could remember everything, that he had been pretending.

Dave was spiraling, watching Karkat’s eyes fill up with tears. Finally one broke over the edge, spilling onto his cheek and Dave wiped it away with his thumb out of reflex. 

“I-I don’t think so,” Karkat speaks at barely a whisper, eyes darting over Dave’s face.

He tries to breathe in a deep breath and push the insecurities from his mind, Karkat wasn't it okay right now and needed Dave to be there, to be strong and help him during this- whatever kind of episode this was. Whatever it was that was happening.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Dave says, taking his hand and petting through the smaller boys curls, trying to will his friend to come back to sanity.

One tear turned into two, and soon they were streaming down Karkat’s face, his bare chest hiccupping up against Dave’s own exposed midriff, sending shivers down his spine. That weird feeling in his gut only grew, something akin to curiosity taking ahold of his mind.

“P-please,” Karkat stutters out, and something clicks into Dave's brain, looking at himself in the reflection of the smaller boys eyes.

It reminded him of how he looked mirrored in his brothers' glasses.

Disheveled. Scared.

Broken.

Dave gasp for breath, bolting upward from his lowered position pinning Karkat to the sofa, putting distance between them.

He unclasps the bruising grip around the other's wrists and pulled away completely, standing and backing away from the couch.

He was a monster.

"Please!" Karkat is louder this time, and Dave can only hear himself, his own broken voice begging for the torment to stop. For his brother to-

"Karkat, stop it," Dave warns, back hitting the wall across the room. His vision was getting blurry, tears welling up in his eyes, obstructing his view of his friend.

“What's going on?” Suddenly Dr. Harley was standing in the doorway, glancing back and forth between the two boys, taking in their emotional states.

“He,” Dave points at Karkat who was bordering on sobbing now, “Somethings wrong with him!”

The doctor takes a step into the room and looks over Karkat, before turning to Dave. “Why are you both shirtless?” He questions before shaking his head, "Nevermind, what happened?”

Dave shakes his head and Dr. Harley sighs, “Dave we’ve talked about this, I can’t help you unless you tell me what's wrong.”

Dave takes a moment to gather himself, breathing deeply, “We were, just- kissing and all of a sudden he started talking like he didn’t know me,” He explains wiping at the small tear that escapes his eyes.

Dr. Harley nodded and walked over to Karkat, putting a hand on his shoulder and removing a pen from his pocket. When he clicked the end, instead of a pen it turned out to be a light, and as the doctor turned to look into those grey eyes he tisked.

“We need to get him back to the hospital,” The doctor stood and turned to Dave, a somber look on his face. “I’m not sure what's wrong but they can run a few tests and find out what's happening to him.”

Dave nodded, biting his lip, fearing the worst.

It was a struggle to get a lethargic yet crying Karkat to cooperate enough to get his shirt back on and get him into the car, and it was a short drive before Dave was once again in a waiting room, tapping his foot as he pondered of news of his friend.

Karkat was admitted again after two weeks, they’d thought most of his memory had returned.

Thought, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE COMMENT


	8. Are You Fucking With Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who are you?” And just like that Dave wanted to cry again. Wanted to wrap Karkat in his arms and hug him, wanted to will his memories to return, the knowledge of their shared feelings and the development of their past together.
> 
> But he couldn’t. 
> 
> Instead, he nodded, shifted his glasses and stuck out a hand, “Name’s Dave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY ITS BEEN SO LONG I PROMISE ILL UPLOAD MORE OFTEN I went through something at the end of the summer but now I'm back in action and ready to spit out chapters again!!!!!!!!!

“Brain trauma,” said one doctor.  “Seizures,” said another. 

Dave didn't know what to believe. 

“He’s going to be okay,” Dr. Harley would say. 

Dave didn't know who to believe. 

Karkat blinked from across the room, completely out of it. 

“You thirsty?” He’d ask. 

Karkat wouldn’t reply. 

“Do you need anything?”

Karkat would tug on the cords leading up to his body, Dave swatting his hands away quickly. 

Entire days of Karkat being this silent stranger. Of the empty grey eyes and soulless looks. 

“Where am I?” Was the first thing he’d said in days, out of the blue in the deafening silence. 

It jostled Dave, not expecting it from his seat in the corner, and when he looks over Karkat finally had that bit of blue back in his eyes, finally had some gleam of his old self returning. 

“You-you're in the hospital,” Dave responds after a breath. 

“Why?” Karkat asks, tilting his head. 

“You-” Dave starts before stopping himself, standing and walking toward the curtain that lined their section of the room. “I’ll go get a doctor, they’ll explain it better.” Because honestly, Dave had no idea what was about to happen, what all Karkat remembered. 

“Wait!” Karkat shouts before Dave can fully exit, And he hesitates at the door before walking back over to Karkat's side of the shared room. 

“Who are you?” And just like that Dave wanted to cry again. Wanted to wrap Karkat in his arms and hug him, wanted to will his memories to return, the knowledge of their shared feelings and the development of their past together.

But he couldn’t. 

Instead, he nodded, shifted his glasses and stuck out a hand, “Name’s Dave.” 

Karkat looked skeptical, glancing between Dave’s blank expression and his outstretched hand. 

Finally, after being left hanging for quite a few seconds, Dave just sighs and lowers his hands, sticks them in his pockets. 

Karkat blinks up at him and he swallows, mind running a mile a minute.

Something sick flashes through his mind, rolling his stomach and making him stumble back a step, the vivid image of Dave hovering over Karkat, pinning him to the couch. The way Karkat’s lips pull when he wines out a  _ “Please,”  _ his shirtless chest brushing up against Dave’s own abdomen, the way his eyes gleamed with tears as they streaked down his face. 

Bile rose in his throat,  _ “Please- bro, stop!” _ He remembers the strike after that, the blade slicing into his forearms, how his blood squirts from his flesh, coating everything in sight. 

How Bro bandaged him up, only to leave him alone for the next few days. Not seen once, other than underhanded communications through altered puppets and notes being left all around the apartment. 

It all flies through his mind, takes a second to process the memories before he’s coughing, the taste of his own stomach acid in the back of his mouth left him feeling raw. 

Suddenly Karkat is standing, moving to take a step, and before Dave can tell him to lay back down he was headed toward the floor. 

Dave caught him, of course, and Karkat looks up at him with such clear and pristine eyes that shine like they never had before. Karkat reaches up with a hand, and Dave can't help but flinch away, expecting the worst, but he opens his eyes out of surprise when the hand softly caresses his jaw.  

His eyes open just in time to watch Karkat’s own close, leaning in and connecting their mouths in a soft kiss. It surprises Dave enough that he doesn’t move to break them apart, eyes wide from behind his shades, mind spirling. 

Why was Karkat kissing him? 

Was he just fucking with him? With these doctors?

Did he remember everything and this was all a ruse? 

Did he think this was cute, or funny somehow? 

Why was he kissing Dave? 

Finally, he pulls away, eyes blinking open from behind his lashes and he bites his lip in a way that Dave’s eyes can’t seem to not notice. 

“Are you fucking with me?” Dave can’t help but ask. 

Karkat blinks up at him for a few moments before responding, “No? I don’t think so,” And he sounds genuine, but of course Dave knows how deceitful people can be. 

Dave’s breath was picking up, he could feel himself starting to panic. 

“Dave?” Karkat says, so softly, so sweet muttered between his pink lips. 

And for a second Dave pretends like everything's okay, fools himself. Pretends like Karkat knew everything, had come to his senses; had regained himself, could honestly be what they had the potential to be. 

Dave sweeps Karkat into his arms immediately, the boy looping his arms around his neck like he’d been doing it all his life, depositing him onto his hospital bed, worried at how thin he was getting. Dave sits on the edge of the bed, cupping Karkat’s face in his hands. 

Hyper aware of the people in the other half of the shared room. 

But Karkat doesn’t seem to mind, leaning in and Dave can only meet him halfway, eyes closing on reflex. Dave pitches Karkat’s head to the side with the hand on his jaw, twisting his lip between his teeth before they broke apart with a wet noise. 

“Dave,” He says again, Karkat’s voice sugary sweet and dripping with something Dave could only label as hopeful. 

Dave felt the emotional whiplash kicking in as something lower twitched awake, eyes skating to the side before darting between Karkat’s, always searching for that bit of blue, always committing it to memory. 

“Are you-” Dave can’t stop himself from asking, “Are you sure you're not fucking with me?” He asks, voice cracking as his eyes stung more and more. 

Karkat only nods, not very reassuring, and Dave tries to breathe. Really really tries to take a deep breath in, hold it, before letting it out slowly; but the more he focused on it the more he hyperventilated, the more he realized he couldn’t do it, he couldn’t breathe- 

“Dave,” Karkat says more firmly. “Look at me,” And he’s reaching for Dave, and before he realizes what's happening- Karkat’s removed his glasses. Dave blinks in the harsh lighting before looking at Karkat fully, and he instantly finds that blue, the hint of color on the edges of Karkat's now gleaming eyes. 

“What-” Dave knows he should shut up, should stop asking what he doesn't want to know the answer to, but he just can't help it, “What do you remember?” 

“Your name is Dave, right?” Karkat says innocently, tilting his head lightly. 

Dave nods. “What else?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“What else do you remember?” 

Karkat looks thoughtful for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times. 

“How old are you? What city are you in?” Dave asks, frustrated, a headache growing from behind his eyes. 

“You have red eyes-” Karkat goes to say but he’s cut off as Dave stands from the bed roughly, snatching the glasses from the boys grasp- 

“Fuck this,” He spats as he makes his way to the door, walking outside and ignoring Karkat’s pleas for him to return. 

Dave places his glasses back onto his face and looks around for a nurse, finding one pretty quickly but she didn’t seem interested when Dave approached her. She was rude and essentially told him to go to the desk if he wanted them to page a doctor, and Dave huffed before leaving with a snide comment.    
  


* * *

 

“Relapse” is what the doctors called it. Karkat was having a relapse. 

Dave didn’t know entirely what that meant. 

He was sitting, staring at the boy. Taking him in. He was here, he was alive. 

But he felt so far away. 

_ “I miss you-”  _ flashed through his mind- _ “Please come back-”  _

The doctors said it was temporary. 

Dave felt like everything was turning out to be temporary. 

 

* * *

  
  


“Hey, I’m sorry I freaked you out,” Karkat speaks softly between them. 

Dave straightens a bit from his slouched position, shifting in the uncomfortable hospital chair set beside the bed. He opens his mouth to speak but it gets caught in his throat, coughing before trying again. 

“It’ll be okay,” He tries to reassure the boy sat next to him. Karkat was sitting up in the bed, three pillows behind his back and head- ones that he’s compelled to shift around every few minutes. 

“I hate this place, when can we go home?” Karkat questions and something about it hit Dave square in the chest.  _ Home.  _ Karkat thought of being with Dave as being home. 

“What about your dad?” Falls from his mouth before he can really stop it. 

Karkat tilts his head, clearly thinking. This sends Dave’s brain into panic mode, what if now that he's reminded of his parent- his blood- he’d want to go home and be with them? Dave knows the importance of family, knows there’s just something about a blood relation that makes people do anything for each other. 

Dave has another moment of silence to ponder if Karkat even thought of him as home or just convenient- someone nearby to stay with while he recuperates. He wonders if Karkat would have said the same thing to John. 

After a good pause, Karkat goes to speak but nothing comes out, closing his mouth before trying again, “What about him?” 

This sends Dave reeling, unsure of how to respond, not expecting that as a reply at all. “Well, uh,-” He tries but his brain just won't cooperate- “I just wanted to know if uh-” 

“Dave,” Karkat interrupts- and it jostles him. He swallows. 

“Yes?” He asks. 

“I love you.” And there it is, the grand prize winner, the words Dave had needed. 

But then, in the silence following, the thoughts start to spin. 

Karkat doesn’t even know him anymore. They’re strangers. Karkat has changed forever with this injury. He’ll likely never be the same as the boy Dave had fallen in love with. It hurts to think about, to know that Karkat didn’t know anything about him- them- their history. 

Dave coughs. 

What of Karkat didn’t love him? What if he was just saying that because that’s what the new him thinks he should say? 

Does it even really matter? 

Because ultimately, Dave knows he staying. 

He knows he can’t leave. 

* * *

 

“So how’s he doing?” John asks, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, not looking at Dave but into the window of Karkat’s room. 

“He’s- listen, how the fuck should I know?” Dave shoots back aggravated and with venom. 

John turns to him with a raised eyebrow. 

Dave shifts his glasses. 

“Dave? What's going on?” 

“Nothing, drop it.” 

“Dave.”

“Nothing.” 

John sighs and turns back to the window where Karkat and Terezi were laughing inside. 

“I'm worried. Like, really really worried.” John speaks softly. 

Dave nods. 

Yeah, he was too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COMMENT I NEED VALIDATION AND INSPIRATION


	9. Are You Sure You're Not Fucking With Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Dave,” Karkat says, that feeling gnawing at his stomach, like something important lay just beyond those stupid shades. That the key to his whole world was a map in the other’s eyes- the freckles on his face-. “Look at me,” And he reaches out and removes his glasses slowly, careful not to disturb his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY!!! YOU!!!! I MADE A DISCORD SERVER, YOU SHOULD JOIN!!!
> 
> https://discord.gg/ykTdc9p

 Karkat was- well he definitely wasn't- no he wouldn't say-

He wasn't sure. At all. About anything. 

He glances at the person in the corner, feeling a pull like nothing else in the world. He has a long daydream about standing and ripping out the cords attached to him, of waltzing across the room and demanding attention from this person. To plop himself into his lap and grab him by the jaw, press their mouths together and- 

Something inside of him perks up at this train of thought, but he loses it just as fast as it comes. 

Hours seemed to fly by, Karkat blinks and the hands on the clock warp. 

People come and go, their expressions gloom and radiating disappointment. Karkat wondered what he did this time. They seem to speak, their mouths open, but honestly it sounds like static when Karkat tries to recall their words after they’ve left. Like that sequence from his memory had been erased. 

Finally, words start to form in his mind, slowly and with concentration, and eventually, he chokes out a “Where am I?” 

The boy across the room jumps but looks over to him.

“You-you're in the hospital.” The boy replies.  

“Why?” Karkat asks, tilting his head. 

“You-” The boy starts before stopping himself, standing and walking toward the curtain that lined the room. “I’ll go get a doctor, they’ll explain it better.”

“Wait!” Karkat shouts as the boy leaves his sight, but he seems to hesitate at the door before walking back over to Karkat’s side.  

“Who are you?” Karkat questions, feeling that pull even stronger now that the boy was up close. 

Even the way he smelled was enticing, the perfect blend of natural scent and cologne, the sweep of his blond hair, the reflection of the harsh lighting in his glasses. Everything about him was tugging at Karkat to stand from his spot and embrace him, to kiss him, to hug him. Like it was instinct at this point like he’d been doing it all his life. 

But the boy just nodded, shifted his glasses and stuck out a hand, “Name’s Dave.” He said bluntly.

Karkat eyes the hand, then the boys face a few times over, feeling like there was more to this than just that. More to whatever was happening. 

Karkat makes to stand, to approach the boy, Dave, but he backs up a step, and Karkat falters. Was this a good idea? It felt like the only thing he could do, the only viable option in this menu. 

He makes to stand again, a little wobbly on his feet and takes a step forward. His knees give out suddenly, but he’s caught before he hits the floor, looking up into the reflection of himself in the others’ glasses.  

_ Now! _ His brain seemed to scream it at him, and he raises a shaky hand. Dave flinches away at first, but Karkat is gentle when he finally makes contact with the others’ jaw, leaning up in the grip of the other to connect their mouths in a gentle yet breakable kiss. 

He remembers something, a flash of lips connecting, of heat boiling inside of him. Overpowering- a wave of feelings, indescribable yet positive in nature. He remembered their first kiss, remembered the gentle brush of their lips as they experienced their first instance of intimacy. 

It was happening again, Karkat was kissing Dave, was cherishing their moment their closeness. The way Dave smelled, the warmth wafting off of him, it overloaded his senses- made him feel feral. Overpowering hunger gripped him- but then the realization that the other wasn't reciprocating resonated with him. Calmed the rushing sea inside of his mind. 

He leans back, blinks open his eyes and looks up at Dave- no- to a reflection of himself in the other's glasses. He didn’t like that, wanted to see his whole face, his eyes, something was screaming at Karkat to remove the other’s glasses, that it was important. 

“Are you fucking with me?” Dave questions and Karkat feels taken aback by that, unsure of how to respond. 

“No? I don’t think so,” Karkat says genuinely. Why would he want to hurt the other? Why would he be malicious to someone he cared about so much? He loved Dave. 

He loved Dave. 

“Dave?” Karkat questions as the other’s aura seemed to shift, his breathing picking up and his hands gripping Karkat a little tighter. A lot tighter. 

Suddenly Karkat was being moved in the other’s arms, jostled as he’s placed on the bed. Dave chooses to sit beside him and this close up Karkat can see the hinges on his glasses, the little nubs that hold them against his nose. 

Karkat notices the freckles that dotted his cheeks, the smooth curve of his pale lips. Karkat wanted to kiss him again, so he did, he leaned in and smooched one right on Dave’s mouth. 

He lets Dave direct him, just like he’d done the first time they’d done this, tipping his head to the side with the guidance of a hand suddenly on his jaw, his lips being caught between the others teeth during- pulling and twisting them until he disconnects with a soft pop. 

“Dave,” and he’s saying it to ground himself, to remind himself that this is real, this is finally happening, after so long. It felt like- well- he didn’t know, maybe since they were kids? 

He felt like he’d loved this boy all his life. 

“Are you-” Dave’s breath ghosts across his face, “Are you sure you're not fucking with me?” He asks, voice cracking halfway through the words. 

Karkat nods, unsure as to why Dave would ask this.

“Dave,” Karkat says, that feeling gnawing at his stomach, like something important lay just beyond those stupid shades. That the key to his whole world was a map in the other’s eyes- the freckles on his face-. “Look at me,” And he reaches out and removes his glasses slowly, careful not to disturb his hair. 

“What-What do you remember?” Dave questions, squinting in the harsh lighting. 

“Your name is Dave, right?” Karkat says honestly. He’s too busy memorizing the other’s appearance to think of much else, his high cheekbones, the freckles that line his face, his colorless eyebrows, his long blond eyelashes that framed his  _ gorgeous _ **_red_ ** eyes. 

Dave nods. “What else?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“What else do you remember?” 

Karkat thinks for a moment. Nothing else seemed important right now.  

“How old are you? What city are you in?” Dave asks sounding more and more irritated by the minute. 

“You have red eyes-” Karkat goes to say but he’s cut off as Dave stands from the bed roughly, snatching the glasses from the boys grasp- 

“Fuck this,” Dave spits as he makes his way to the door, walking outside and ignoring Karkat’s pleas for him to return. 

Karkat is left alone, with nothing but the soft beeping of the machines hooked up to him to keep him company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment and join the discord im so lonely i need more friends i promise im cool


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